Life changes when you’re no longer tested on your summer reading.
You have the freedom to pause mid-chapter for a two-hour dip in the pool. You can shrug nonchalantly when a splash of water blurs some of a paragraph’s words.
Still, selecting a beach read can be difficult.
The beach read is the cooler, more sand-friendly cousin of the airport read. It has a plot, but not one so complicated you can’t occasionally shift your attention to a nearby game of sand volleyball.
It is durable, but doesn’t weigh down your beach bag.
It evokes emotion, but not enough to make you cry and smear your sunblock.
Here are some of our summer reading picks, graded on the factors most central to the beach read’s definition:
“Dear American Airlines” (Jonathan Miles)
Fifty-something Bennie Ford writes a disgruntled letter to an airline company, and the complaint somehow becomes a written reflection on his own life shortcomings.
Complexity: Just enough contemplation to inspire you to become a beach philosopher
Durability: Hardcover ($22) and paperback ($13.95)
“How to Be Single” (Liz Tuccillo)
A woman leaves the New York meet market to study the experiences of single women around the world.
Complexity: Requires the concentration you’d devote to a “Sex and the City” episode
Durability: Hardcover ($24.95) and paperback ($15)
“Beach Trip” (Cathy Holton)
After two decades apart, four friends reunite for a beach party.
Complexity: An accurate portrait of friendships that are likely just as challenging — and endearing — as your own
Durability: Hardcover ($25)
“L.A. Candy” (Lauren Conrad)
In her debut young-adult novel, MTV starlet Conrad writes about fictional teens starring in a reality TV series.
Complexity: Consider it a written version of “The Hills.” Your emotions will remain intact, but you might suffer the humiliation that comes with publicly reading a book that features candy hearts on its cover.
Durability: Hardcover ($17.99)
“Commencement” (J. Courtney Sullivan)
It’s the story of four fictional friends who meet at Smith College, an all-women’s school in Massachusetts.
Complexity: The premise sounds like traditional chick lit, but the novel prompts serious discussions about feminism and education.
Durability: Hardcover ($24.95)
“The Lace Makers of Glenmara” (Heather Barbieri)
After heartbreak, a 26-year-old fashioner designer travels to Ireland, where she heals her pain by befriending members of a local lace-making society.
Complexity: Female empowerment with Irish scenery
Durability: Hardcover ($24.99)
“Ms. Taken Identity” (Dan Begley)
A male protagonist takes on the identity of his imaginary female cousin so he can write chick lit. The research process involves Oprah, Vogue and the most life-changing element of all: dance lessons.
Complexity: The pink fuzzy slippers on the cover say it all
Durability: Paperback ($13.99)
“The Scarecrow” (Michael Connelly)
When a veteran journalist is laid off from his newspaper, he uses his final days on the job to chase a major murder story.
Complexity: A thriller suspenseful enough to make you oblivious to the nearby cookout
Durability: Hardcover ($27.99)
“The Tall Book: A Celebration of Life on High” (Adrianne Cohen)
A 6-foot-3 essayist studies the social implications of being tall. She touches on challenges like dating, traveling and more.
Complexity: It’s the only nonfiction entry on our list, but this book has a light-hearted tone that will keep you entertained — and curb your bitterness about not finding a swimsuit that accommodates your stature.
Durability: Hardcover ($20)
“The Scenic Route” (Binnie Kirshenbaum)
Sylvia and Henry meet in Italy and decide to take a road trip around Europe. Sylvia spends the trip telling stories about her family, anecdotes that span humor and tragedy.
Complexity: It’s a more complicated take on the typical travel romance. At the novel’s onset, narrator Sylvia says, “Here is the story of Henry and me. I wish it had a different end. It had a good beginning.”
Durability: Paperback ($13.99)
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Excerpt: 'The Scenic Route'
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